"…Though he cannot articulate the concept, your puppy expects that leadership will be provided for him, or lacking that, he may have to be in charge as he matures..." Suzanne Clothier
It Takes a Pack to Raise a Puppy
Understanding what a puppy expects and needs from his family.
Not
too long ago, I read about a study that showed that when recorded birdsong was
played to plants, it served to prepare the plants for morning and the coming
light. Hearing the birdsong, the plants
underwent specific changes that allowed them to make good use of the sunlight. The point of the article was that greenhouse
operators using artificial lighting would be wise to use this simple approach
to help plants use the light as effectively as physiologically possible.
When
we raise puppies, it would be nice to know that there was something as simple
as recorded birdsong to help trigger our puppies' minds so that our
interactions with them would have the best possible effects. But puppies aren't plants - they're complex
creatures zooming along at an astounding pace on their developmental timetable.
Compounding
it all is the reality that while we are well meaning, we are still just humans
trying to raise a baby dog. Hilary
Clinton may or may not be right that it takes a village to raise a child; it
definitely does take a pack to raise a puppy. In taking a puppy to raise, we become a
substitute canine family. This is no easy task.
By
the time the puppy is 7 weeks old, Nature has prepared the puppy to form deep
bonds - in the world, with the pack around him; as a domestic dog, to form
bonds with us, his substitute family. This bond is heartwarming and charming - what
is more adorable than a little puppy trustingly chugging along behind you? It is also absolutely practical: this behavior
is what will keep the puppy alive, fed, protected and educated. From 7-12 weeks of age, the puppy is amazingly
open to (even eager for) relationships - relationships with almost anyone who
will allow it. It is at this stage that
flock guardian breeds are placed with the sheep; the poor misguided dears grow
up feeling quite fond toward their wooly family and as impressive adult dogs
will protect the flock with passion and skill. Given
that a puppy can be convinced that a relationship with a sheep is a good thing,
it is small wonder that puppies are just as willing to look at the average
human being and think, "There is a God - and my, what big shoes God has. .
."
But
possible problems are already germinating, even at this tender age. Even though a puppy is quite willing to
develop relationships with all and sundry (even sheep), he does come to the
table with some expectations. He can't
help it. These expectations are hard-wired into his canine brain. He also has needs, ones that are typically met
in a "natural" setting.
The puppy expects that there are rules
in the world. His mother had them and reinforced them
according to her personal mothering style. Even his siblings had some rudimentary rules
which were enforced through clumsy but oddly effective ways. (Fat puppies learn quickly that you can get
much of what you want by simply sitting on a less hefty puppy. Biting hard on a rival's ear or lip can also
be very effective.) Even at the tender
age of 7 weeks old, the puppy is watching you, trying to figure out what the
rules are. Where he sees uncertainty or inconsistency, his canine mind cannot help
but make note of this. As he grows,
he may feel the need to test the weak areas in order to clarify what the rules
may or may not be. We expect this at
some level - after all, human teenagers routinely "test" their
parents to find out where the boundaries may be. What we don't expect (or don't know or simply
forget) is how quickly puppies move from the early stage of congenial agreement
into the testing phase in just a matter of weeks, not the years like a human
child.
The dog - like all social beings - is
born with an understanding that there is power equal to, greater than and less
than his own. He is (eternally) interested in seeing where
you, the neighbors, the cat next door and the Poodle he just met fall on the
power scale. Though he cannot articulate
the concept, your puppy expects that leadership will be provided for him, or
lacking that, he may have to be in charge as he matures. Like
all social beings, he'd prefer that his leader(s) be calm, consistent, and
clear while also being benevolent, protective and aware. And being a dog in all his waking moments, he
assumes that you are a leader for him in your every waking moment.
A puppy (or even an adult dog) cannot
understand that your life is not devoted to being a "leader among
dogs" 24 hours a day or that you play many roles as
spouse/parent/child/worker/friend.
Though dog leader/puppy raiser/trainer
may be only a part-time job for YOU, it does not change the fact that your
puppy is a puppy 24 hours a day. Gaps in
the leadership you provide for him will impact on the long term relationship
between you and your puppy. Depending on
the individual dog, the breed and the situation, a lack of good leadership can
lead to annoying and bratty behaviors, or it can lead to very serious
consequences with the dog on a one-way trip to the Big Kennel in the Sky. Loving
a puppy is not enough; he expects and deserves clear, consistent leadership.
Being a dog leader means setting the
rules for what is and is not acceptable behavior in your pack (with
consideration to your rules being in line with the realities of dog behavior,
culture and what constitutes reasonable expectations.)
Lacking
the companionship and endless play his littermates would have provided, the
puppy needs you to be his playmate. No excuses are truly satisfactory for a
puppy who wants to play, play, play but has no one with whom to play. In a
natural setting, a puppy wouldn't have to pester anyone or eat the linoleum out
of boredom or bark in the backyard as a way to amuse himself. His littermates
would be there, just as eager to play as he, littermates with which to chase,
bite, wrestle, explore, etc. Although raising puppies together is NOT a good
idea if you want a companion animal who is bonded to human beings and not to
his puppy pals, it is a humbling moment when you watch puppies playing and
realize that this is what you are going to replace in this puppy's life. Think
of this the next time you find yourself exasperated with the puppy who won't
stop pestering your other dogs to play, or who drops a toy invitingly at your
feet for the millionth time, or who dances just out of your reach, reluctant to
have a game end. Think of your puppy multiplied by 4 or 6 or 8 and what fun
that many puppies would be having together. Then remember - you volunteered to
be the substitute for that.
The
puppy needs to learn to inhibit his impulses - in other words, to develop some
self control. One of my males, Banni, was a master at teaching puppies this critical
social skill. Making a big show of a toy or delicious bone, Banni would lay
down, placing his treasure in a precise spot calculated for a specific puppy
and the specific lesson. Initially, the puppy would rush toward the bone and
Banni would pick it up quickly while growling then walk away. With just one or
two repetitions, the puppy learned to stop whenever Banni growled. Soon, he
didn't have to growl at all, but merely give the puppy "the look."
You could see the puppy really wanted the bone, but was learning that wanting
something and acting on that desire were quite different.
When
dogs teach puppies to control themselves, they do not make excuses for the
puppy: "Well, I was trying to teach him to leave my bone alone but he got
so excited and I suppose it did smell pretty good, so I just let him have
it." Humans make excuses for dogs, forgetting that among all social animals,
self control is a learned skill that must be taught. We learned self control because our parents
taught us. For puppies to be welcome and
enjoyable members of our substitute families, we need to teach them a great
deal of self control. Puppies do learn
self control from other dogs but only concerning matters that are of interest
to other dogs. A dog would not bother to
teach a puppy that he should not get up on the sofa or steal food from the
kitchen counter. These things don't
matter much to dogs. But an older dog
WILL teach a puppy that you should not steal another dog's meal or simply take
a direct line of travel over another dog's body - much more polite to go
around!
When
teaching self control, dogs are careful to make the lessons appropriate for the
puppy's age. Before the puppy reaches
16-18 weeks of age, normal dogs are amazingly tolerant of puppy behavior. The careful observer will note a slow, subtle
increase in what older dogs begin expecting from the puppy, but the overall
impression is that a puppy can get away with almost anything. And the truth is, he can, thanks to the
invisible (at least to humans!) but very real "puppy permit." What the puppy doesn't yet know is this:
there's an expiration date on that puppy permit. When it expires, the rules can change quite
quickly. Behavior that was acceptable one day may be completely unacceptable the
next. With my own dogs, I've seen a
puppy's permit expire over the course of a single morning. Just before breakfast, a four month old puppy
galloped over one of my older dogs - nothing more than a dirty look and a grunt
was what she got for this behavior. Later
that day, the puppy did the same thing and was shocked when the adult dog
leaped up fiercely snarling and barking in displeasure. After a few repetitions
over the next few days, the puppy learned to politely walk around - not over! -
other dogs.
The
expiration date is usually at 16-20 weeks of age, and corresponds with hormonal
shifts in the puppy's body. Once the
hormonal shift occurs, the puppy will find much less tolerance from the dogs
around him, and increasingly, he will be expected to act in a more mature
fashion. Smart puppy owners keep an eye
on the calendar too, allowing puppies to be puppies under some broad but
consistent guidelines. Very slowly - almost imperceptibly, you
begin to ask for a little more self control, a little more respect, a little
more responsibility from the puppy but never losing sight of the fact that the
puppy permit is still in force. Once
the permit has expired, the wise handler can act just like a wise dog, and
begin to push a little harder and expect more from the puppy.
From
the best puppy raising dogs I've known, here are a few pointers for humans
trying to raise a puppy:
- Tolerate puppies - they know not what they do
- Teach puppies - they know not what to do
- Be consistent with puppies - they forget things quickly
- Keep lessons short - puppies are easily distracted
- Puppies need to play - that why puppies are born in litters
- Good social skills & manners are made, not born
- Remember that puppy permits have expiration dates
- Don't wait till the puppy has stolen your bone to teach him about manners
- Be careful what you teach a puppy - someday, he might be in charge
- Tired puppies are always good puppies
Note: This article originally appeared in the
newsletter of the Siberian Husky Club of America.
"Copyright © 2013 by Suzanne Clothier. Used
by permission of Suzanne Clothier. All rights reserved. For more information
about Suzanne please visit SuzanneClothier.com"
Doing Nothing Calmly:
http://cairnrescue.blogspot.com/2015/08/doing-nothing-calmly.html
Understanding Arousal, Anxiety, and Fear:
http://cairnrescue.blogspot.com/2015/08/understanding-arousal-anxiety-and-fear.html
Relationship Centered Dog Training Tips by Suzanne Clothier:
Read More Training
Tips from Suzanne Clothier:
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